The Bond Paradox
by SaxonShieldmaiden
Summary: Two time-traveling agents are sent to the past to keep Dr. Sheldon Cooper's timeline free from corruption and make sure everything happens the way it should. Unfortunately, that might mean playing matchmaker.
1. Chapter 1: Future Prologue

**Yes, I know, I'm writing two fics at once, bad me, but the bunny wouldn't die. I do not own The Big Bang Theory and am making no money**

* * *

The agent, usually referred to as Ace, walked through the antiseptic white halls, slightly annoyed. She hadn't yet had a chance to get her morning workout in on the new recruits before The Suit called her upstairs. She could have got into the room by scanning her fingerprint, but she was feeling contrary, so she hacked the panel instead, and walked in the room.

The Captain was sitting at his desk, the monitors behind him displaying various pictures and calendars and data for the mission. Somehow, without him explaining, she knew she wasn't going to like this assignment. It would be complicated.

She walked up to the desk, slipping into place beside her partner.

"The Writers are trying to bring down The Houses." The burly man behind the desk stated.

"What else is new?" The male agent asked brushing a piece of dust off his leather jacket.

"They've decided to target someone too important for us to be overly subtle." The Suit replied. "We're going to have to make actual contact.

Ace's eyes widened. "The dangers to the timeline in active manipulation are impossible to count, Suit!"

"That's why we're sending you." The Suit responded. "You're our only field agent who can calculate and hack fliers on the ground."

"Not to mention that if you're going to send someone to infiltrate a physicist's life and keep it from being altered by a Writer, it makes it easier to put someone with more letters behind their name than in it, it makes cover easier." Ace's partner Jack, remarked. "Especially _that_ one."

"Enough chat." The Suit said, bringing his palm down on the desk. "You two are off to the transmitter rooms, to ensure that Dr. Sheldon Cooper's timeline is not compromised. When you arrive in the correct year, you will meet with our liaison, who will inform you further."

Usually Ace enjoyed the cloak and dagger routine. Working for the Houses of Temporal Protection, there was a lot of it, but she wasn't looking forward to this assignment. Not one bit.

Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper, seriously?


	2. Chapter 2: First Day

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! I'm glad you're actually willing to give this all a chance!**

* * *

Jack was decidedly annoyed as he arranged and rearranged his leather jacket over the new clothes, and crossed his arms over his chest in a huff. He loved traveling back in time, but this assignment was something completely different, and his usually calm partner was fluttering about like a _girl_ in a way that he had no idea how to handle. Their covers had taken too long and too many jumps to create, and now they were getting ready to make contact.

Well, Ace was. He didn't like the fact that she was going out on her own to make initial contact when there was an unknown Writer out there. Sure, she could handle herself, hell, she had handed him his ass on a regular basis, but it was the principle of the thing. it also annoyed him that their covers were so close to the truth. "I don't like it." He grumbled for the fifth time.

"Yes, I know, you've mentioned." Ace replied, rolling her eyes at him in the mirror, as she rearranged her hair. The fun part about this for Ace _was_ the cover. She loved field work, but she only got to do it very rarely. They liked having someone with an in-depth knowledge of how time-space worked cleared for the field, but they generally didn't like to risk her. She was too valuable in the labs. She had only gained the ability to go out on the field when The Suit saw her beating Jack to a pulp on a bad day. This assignment meant she practically got to be herself as a cover, so despite her concerns about the assignment, she was pleased.

"Why are we even doing this? You're the first one to say how contact can shatter a timeline." Jack grumbled.

"Because Dr. Sheldon Cooper invented time-travel, and if a Writer changes that, many lives are lost, you and I never meet, and we're both out of jobs." Ace replied. "Among other things. Now be a good fake fiancé, give me a goodbye kiss and wish me luck."

Jack rolled his eyes, but obeyed, and Ace set off in the direction of CalTech.

* * *

Howard arrived at the lunch table with news. Sitting down with his defiantly non-kosher meal, he leaned towards his friends. "Have you guys heard?"

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "We do have the ability to process auditory stimuli, Wolowitz, but to what are you referring?"

Howard was only put off for a moment. "President Siebert has gotten someone from Cavendish to work here for a semester."

Leonard's eyes went wide. "Cavendish? As in Cambridge?"

"No, Leonard, obviously Howard is referring to Cavendish, Vermont." Sheldon replied, then waited a beat. "Bazinga."

"Do you know who, dude?" Raj asked. "They have some of the best astrophysicists in the world."

"They have some of the best everything in the world." Leonard replied.

"Debatable, Leonard. While Cavendish Laboratory is well-known for the advances they've made in physics, their research lately has been surprisingly lacking in creativity, so to say they currently have the best 'everything' is fallacious as best."

"Plus, you can't get a decent plate of fish and chips to save your life." An accented feminine voice added, making the four of them look up. "And don't get me started on the thing they call a trifle."

Raj made a squeaking noise, and as he usually did in the presence of a girl, clammed up.

Howard, as he usually did, attempted to lay on the charm. "Beautiful and a taste for the finer things in life, all your quarks must be charms."

"Howard, that is physically impossible." Sheldon reminded him, looking up at the woman. "He's an engineer."

She gave a little snort, but smiled, green eyes sparkling. "Dr. Harrietta Teague, but please, call me Harry."

Leonard looked up at the woman and got a little tongue tied. "Uh...I'm Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, this is Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali, and Howard Wolowitz."

"A pleasure to meet you." Harry replied, with a little laugh. "You two authored Paradoxical Moment-of-Inertia Changes Due to Putative Super-Solids, didn't you?"

Leonard puffed up slightly. "Why yes, we did."

"Though I did most of the work." Sheldon remarked.

"So what brings a lovely English rose like you to our sunny climes?" Howard asked, not wanting to get left behind because of his lack of a doctorate.

Harry sat down next to Raj, bumping him over with her hip slightly. "My fiancé's mother is suffering with early-onset Alzheimer's and he wanted to take care of her." She shrugged slightly. "He spends most of his time helping her and keeping her out of a home. Sadly, it means I have nothing to do all night but sit and stare at my whiteboards and watch Doctor Who." She shrugged slightly. "I thought this would at least give me some resources or research during the day."

Leonard looked at Sheldon, who, as usual, didn't seem to get the unspoken question. "If you like, you could join the four of us and our significant others for dinner. I mean, it's just Thai takeout and television, but it beats staring at whiteboards by yourself."

Sheldon blinked. "It does?"

"Yes, Sheldon, it does." Leonard replied, poking him slightly.

"I'd be glad to. Thank you for the invitation." Harry said with a smile. "You're very kind."

* * *

After lunch, in her brand new office, Ace called Jack's cell phone feeling accomplished. Just in case, however, she didn't break her cover. "Hey, luv."

"Hi." Jack replied, trying not to sound annoyed. "How's your first day going?"

"Good. I've a decent office." Ace replied, from where she was currently sitting on her new desk, looking at a whiteboard, and biting her thumbnail. "I'm going to have dinner with some of the people from work at their flat, so don't worry about me. How's Maggie?"

"She's not in any pain." Jack replied, looking sideways at the older agent who had been his mentor, and had decided to take this opportunity to retire, the way they used to do it in the Houses. "She's lucid at the moment, but we've only just started treatment, and it's early in the day."

"That's good." Ace said with a sigh. "I'll see you when I get home."


End file.
